According to a former Tennessee football player, the Volunteers played “soft” against Oklahoma.
On November 1, 2025, Tennessee hosted Oklahoma and came up short in a closely fought affair. Oklahoma’s quarterback John Mateer threw for 159 yards and ran for 80 yards, including the decisive touchdown with under two minutes to play. ABC News+2Fox Sports+2
The Volunteers, ranked No. 14, fell to the No. 18 Sooners, bringing their record to 6-3 (3-3 in conference) while Oklahoma improved to 7-2 (3-2). Fox Sports+1
Tennessee committed three turnovers, which Oklahoma converted into 13 points. The Sooners’ coach, Brent Venables, said, “Our guys matched (Tennessee’s) physicality, and then some. The pile constantly went in our direction.” Fox Sports+1
In short: Tennessee had a chance, but Oklahoma made more plays when it mattered.
Enter former Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli, who didn’t mince words after the loss. On social media he wrote:
“Respectfully, some of our guys are acting soft asf.” yardbarker.com
By publicly saying that, Bituli is essentially accusing the current Vols roster of lacking toughness or intensity — of not playing with the grit that the program expects. For a former player to say that, it carries weight in the locker-room and fan base.
What does “soft” imply in this context? Several facets:
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Physically: maybe the Vols weren’t winning the line of scrimmage, weren’t driving forward, weren’t “piling up” yards or dominating collisions.
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Mentally: perhaps the team didn’t respond to adversity (turnovers, big plays by the opponent) with urgency.
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Emotionally/attitude: the sense that the team lacked fire, lacked the “edge” needed in a tight rivalry-type game.
When the coach of the opponent says “the pile constantly went in our direction,” it reinforces the physicality claim. Tennessee may have looked good but not won enough of the key clashes.
Why is Bituli’s comment particularly relevant? A few reasons:
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Expectations: Tennessee is a program with a rich history, passionate fan base, and high standards. When they lose a game they should win (or at least play more dominantly), comments about softness sting.
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Leadership and culture: Former players often see themselves as keepers of tradition. When they feel the current squad isn’t living up, they’ll speak up. Bituli’s comment is a culture check.
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Game context: Given turnovers and the fact the opponent made the plays, there’s tangible evidence of breakdowns—not just bad luck. When you have opportunities and you don’t seize them, savvy observers will call it out.
Putting together the game and the “soft” label, here are contributory factors:
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Turnovers – Tennessee gave the ball away three times; Oklahoma turned those into 13 points. You don’t give gifted opportunities and expect to win. Fox Sports+1
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Physicality in the trenches & key plays – The Sooners’ coach noted his team won the piles. Tennessee seemingly didn’t win enough of those.
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Late-game closure – Allowing the clinching touchdown with less than two minutes suggests a failure to step up when it counted.
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Attitude/urgency – Bituli’s “soft” comment implies the team didn’t bring full competitive fire. Whether that’s fair or harsh depends on internal effort, but from the outside it points to a perceptual gap.
What this means moving forward for Tennessee:
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Culture reset/renewal – If a former player sees softness, current leadership (coaches, captains) may need to address the mindset: toughness, compete-every-down, finish.
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Recruiting & retention – Showing that the program holds standard publicly (via internal accountability or external critique) sends a message to recruits and transfers that intensity matters.
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Fan trust – The fan base expects grit. After losses like this, perception matters. If fans feel the team lacks toughness, momentum and support may waver.
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Short-term urgency – Tennessee still has regular-season games and possibly postseason bowls ahead. Losses like this reduce margin for error. The “soft” label can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if not corrected.
The 33-27 loss to Oklahoma was close, but margins count. In games between good teams, the ones who win the tight moments are the ones prepared physically, mentally, and emotionally to handle the grind. Tennessee had moments, but by the summary and commentary, it appears they had too many lapses.
Daniel Bituli’s comment doesn’t just sting—it calls for accountability. “Acting soft” is a charge of not being fully engaged, not maxing out physical effort, and not sustaining competitive fire. That’s not about scheme or talent alone—it’s about will.
For Tennessee to get back on track, they’ll need to prove that criticism wrong: win the collisions, own the key moments, and show up every down. Otherwise, the narrative of softness may become harder to shake.
If you like, I can pull up more breakdowns of Tennessee’s performance in this game (play-by-play, key missed opportunities) and compare them to Oklahoma’s execution, as well as historical Tennessee standards of toughness. Would you like that?